Automobile direction signal



J. S..WARBIS AUTOMOBILE DIRECTION SIGNAL Filed May 16, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet l 4 Jzgxl.

'Inventor @Selah .,awafbcs Defn 27, 1527'. 654,060

J. s. wARBls 4MJ'I'OMOI'LJLE DIRECTION SIGNAL Filed May 16 1927 3 Sheets-5heet 2 L s f7 f l 1 i I f6 6 *i* fs "17m",

6 W 20 dosephwarbis ttomg Patented Dec. 27, 1927.

JOSEPH S. WARBIS,

OF RINARD, IOWA.

AUTOMOBILE DIRECTION SIGNAL.

Application filed May 16,

My present invention pertains to autoniebile direction signals; and it eonteniplates the provision of a peculiar and advantageous signal adapted to be expeditiously and easily operated by the driver of an automobile, and one characterized by the 'li-act that ivhen not in use, all oi' its parte are hidden from vieiv and are adequately protected against injury and also against the action ot the elements.

Other objects and practical advantages oil' the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims when the saine are read in connection with the drawings, accompanying;l and forming a part et this specification, in which:

Figure l is a plan vieiv showing' a portion el" an automobile equipped with the preferred embodiment el my invention, and also shone ing' the movable visual member ot my improvenient in position to indicate that the driver ot the vehicle is about to make a turn.

Figure 2 is a, side elevation of the same with a part broken aivay and the instrument board ott the automobile in vertical section.

Figure 3 is a :trent elevation of the same.

Figure l is an enlarged elevation with the closing member oit the easingf comprised in my improvement removed and with the visual signal member in use.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of 'the closure member of the casing.

Figure 6 is a section showing the casing as closed, said section being' taken in the plane indicated by the line 6 6 of Figure Il, looking toward the lett.

Figures 7 and 8 are horizontal sections taken in the planes indicated by the line 7-7 and 88, respectivelyT of Figure et.

F igure 9 is a vievv similar to Figure 4, but showing the visual signal member as dis posed out of use and entirely Within the can ing' referred to.

Figure 10 is an enlarged detail section taken in the plane indicated by the line 10- l() et Figure 2 and illustrating the rectilinearly movable handle rod ot my inim piovement.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the views olf' the drawings. The automobile illustrated is provided with a tender l and is otherwise oi 'the ordinary Well known construction.

The rectilinearly movable rod for the actuation of the visual signal member oi my improvement is designated by 2 and is ap- 1927. Serial. No. 191,737.

propriately mounted and `Q ;uided in the instrmlnent board 3 oit the automobile as will be readily understood :from Figures 1, 2, and 10. Connected to the said rod 2 which has a handle at its rear end, is a flexible rod 4.. which is appropriately guided in a fixed tube 5, carried by the automobile.

Arranged crosswise on the automobile fender l is the easing ot my impriivement, the casing; body designated by t3, beim;l lixcd to the tender at l and the closure member ot the c ng, designated by 8, being hiimcdly connected atl l), to the casingY body (iv and beingn normally, though yieldiniglv maiutained in closed porfiition by endn retraetile springs lt), interiiostul between it und the casingl body as illustrated in F igures el, (i, and 7. l

At, its inner side the closure member S provided with a roller ll, Figures i and 7, for use iu the opening olf the closure member 8, against the action of the serine lt),

`will, be hereinattei" explicitly recited.

The visual signal member oit' my improvement is designated by l2 and it is shoivn in use in ligures l, E2, l. t.. and shown out ot use in Figure S). l

The said signal member is preferably, though not necessarily, shaped as illustratied, and it is provided at its opposite sides, by prefere-nce, with :111 appropriate legend. as turn. i i d i The said visual signal mornin-)1F12 is movable tfrom the idle position as shown in Fija;M ure S) to the operative position shown in Fie`- ure il, and vice versa, and it will be manifest, that when the member l2 is in the position shown in F igure Si, it will be entirely hidden from view aud together with certain other parts ot the mechanism will be eutirely hidden iirom 'View and. at the same time will be protected. against the elemel'its. Vvlhcn, however, the member 12 is moved to the position shown in Figure et, ior instance, the signal member l2 Will be in 'full view et persons in liront ot and in rear ot the automobile and hence will be apprised ot the intention oiI the driver to maire a tfuri'i.

The signal member l2, in `the preferred embodiment ot my invention carried by three swincgable members 1?), fl, and l5, and by a 'fourth sivingfafble member lil, all ot the said swing'able members being;l pivotally connected to thc signal member l2 and being also pivotally connected and supported iu the casing body G, and one ot the sufinnfable llt) members, that is, the member 16, being in the form of bell crank, as best shown in Figure 4.

Arranged in the casing body 6 and connected to the swingable members 14 and 16 are retractile springs 17. These retractile springs 17 are tensioned when the signal member 12 and the Swingable members 13, 14, 15 and 16 are positioned as shown in Figure 4, and consequently, the said springs 17 will operate to assist in the movement of the signal member 12, from the position shown 4'n Figure 4 to the position shown in Figure 9. The swingable members 14 and 16 are carried by standards 18, and a brace 19 is preferably interposed between one of vthe standards 18 and the standard 20, to

which latter is pivoted, at 21, a sivingable member 22, which is connected, at 23, to the rod 4, and is adapted, when moved from the position shown in Figure 9, to that shown in Figure 4, to move the swingable members 13, 14. 15 and 16, and the visual signal member 12 to the positions shown in Figure 4. On reverse movement of the said swingable member 21, the parts indicated will be returned to the position shown in Figure 9. It will also be understood th'at on the movement of the member 21 from the position shown in Figure 9 to that shown in Figure 4, the member 21 will operate to open the closure -member 8 so as to permitof the projection between the casing body 6 and the closure member 8 of the signal member 12 and the swingable members 13, 14, 15 and 16, While when the said parts are returned to the position shown in Figure 9, theV springs 10 Will operate to promptly close the member 8 for the adequate protection of the parts enclosed in the casing. The member 21 is connected by a link 24, with the bell crank lswingable member 15, Figure 4, and by virtue of said connection, movement of the several sivingable members 13,14, 15 and 16 will attend the swinging movement lof the member 22, for the described movements of the signal member 12. It will also be understood from Figure 4 that the member 22 iS provided with a screw 25, adiustable in the member 22 and designed to bring up against an abutment 26, on the link 24. so as to prevent too great movement of the member 22 in one direc tion. At 27, the member 22 is provided with a deflected padlike portion, which when the memberr 22 is moved from the position shown in Figure 9, to that shown in Figure 4, is designed to cooperate with the rollerl 11 on the closure member 8, and thereb \7 bring about the opening of the member 8 to an extent suicient for the protection of the signal member 12 and the several swingable members 13, 14` 15 and 16.

It will be apparent, from the foregoing, that all movements of the member 22, in the casing are affected by endwise movement of the rod 4, and consequently it will be understood that the driver of the automobile is enabled to readily move the member 12 out of the position shown in Figure 9 to the active position shown in Figure 4, and quickly and easily move the member 12 from the active position shown in Figure 4 to the idle position shoivn in Figure 9.

Manifestly, when the movable parts are positioned as shown in Figure 9 and the closure member 8 is completely closed, the moving parts will be entirely hidden. from view and will be protected from the elements to such an extent that the usefulness of the 9 said parts will be materially prolonged. lt. will also be appreciated that the visual signal member 12 will never be in vien', except when the driver of the automobile is desirous of apprising persons in front and rear of his automobile, of his intention to make a turn, and that because of this fact the visual signal member 12 in use will be more likely to attract attention thereto.

It will further be apparent from the foregoing that my improvement particularly the casing thereof, is embellished in a manner corresponding to the embellishment of the fender on which the casing is mounted and that therefore the improvement is calculated to enhance, rather than detract from the finished appearance of the automobile.

I have entered into a detailed description of thel construction and relative arrangement of the parts embraced in the present and preferred embodiment of my invention, in order to impart a full. clear and exact understanding of the said en'ibodiment. I do not desire, however, to be understood as limiting myself to the construction and relative arrangementv herein disclosed, my invention being defined in my appended claims, Within the scope of which moditications may be made. Without departure from my invention.

I claim:

1. In combination, an automobile` a rectilinearly movable handle located in the body of the automobile, a casing arranged cross- Wise of the automobile on the exterior portion thereof and including a body and a closure member movable relatively to the body and lengtlnvise of the automobile. and means for closing said closure member, a visual signal movable in the direction of'its length and erosswise of the automobile to and from a position in the casing, movable means in the casing for moving the said signal member and for opening said closure member, and a connection between the rectilinearly movable handle and the said signal moving and closure member opening means for actu.- ating the latter by the former.

2. In combination, a casing body, a closure member hingedly connected thereto,

lll)

lill) retrzretle spring means interposed between end connected to tbe easing body and the Closure member, e roller on tbe Closure member, and swngeble elements; mounted in the easing body amd arranged to extend therefrom end be enelosed therein, e Visual eigel member Carried by Said snfingable members, en additional swnegeble member` .mounted in tbe Gaming body and eonneeted with tbe rst named swngoble members and btu/'ing e. cem portion 'for Cooperation with tbe roller ot tbe elosure member', and en endwse movable rod movable relatively to tbe easing' body and connected to the eem bearing; enfingnble member.

8. In combination, e easing' body, a` Clo .eure member lnngedly connected to the body :1nd adapted 'when elosed to be opposed to o. portion thereof, retrzretile spring' means nterpoeed between and connected to the casing body and seid closure member, ewngoble elements mounted in the easing body end movable alongside the body portion to which the closure member is opposed, a visuel signel member carried by Sand swngable members and movable outwardly and inwardly und endwse through the epeee between the elosure member :md the portion of the body to which the Closure member le opposed, e projection on the closure member et the nner side tbereol'7 en additional swngeble member mounted in the casing body and eonnected with the .tiret named swingfrble me1nbers and having e. com portion for use n opposition to seid projection on tbe closure member, end :L bundle connected to seid emu benrnrg mvngzlble member.

In testimony whereof I :ll'lx my eignuture.

JOSEPH S. TA REIS. 

